Light diffusing walls and the like



May 21, 1963 E. F. HAUER LIGHT DIFFUSING WALLS AND THE LIKE 1 R wa a. m m d W w 2 W 5 Filed July 15, 1957 y 1, 1963 E. F. HAUER 3,090,163

LIGHT DIFFUSING WALLS AND THE LIKE Filed July 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Erwin F Hauer 3,090,163 LIGHT DIFFUSING WALLS AND THE LIKE Erwin F. Hauer, 90 Lake Place, New Haven, Conn. Filed July 15, 1957, Ser. No. 671,983 7 Claims. (Cl. 50262) The present invention is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application, Serial No. 558,730, filed January 12, 1956, and now abandoned, and pertaining generally to a novel and improved construction for walls, ceilings, and the like, and more particularly, to walls which are pinked for light transmittal and diffusion purposes.

A primary object of the instant invention is the provision of a pinked wall or ceiling which may readily be fabricated by assembling a plurality of identical construction blocks or elements.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of a pinked wall which is substantially uniplanar but which, nevertheless, comprises crossed fillet portions in spaced relation to each other at their point of intersection.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of novel and improved means for manufacturing and fabricating my improved light diffusing wall or ceiling.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a pinked wall or ceiling which is highly aesthetic and attractive in appearance and which at the same time is extremely effective in diffusing and breaking the hard, direct light rays passing therethrough.

Still another object is the provision of a light diffusing Wall which is of rugged, durable construction and which may be economically and readily manufactured and fabricated.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of alight diffusing or pinked wall constructed in accordance with the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective detail of an individual construc tion block which maybe used in the manufacture of the wall shown in FIG. -1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective of a mold shell which may be utilized to manufacture the block shown in FIG. 4 as an integral, one-piece unit, the removable portions of the mold shell being shown in separated relation for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 6 is a perspective detail of the mold shell of FIG. 5 with the removable parts in assembled relation and with the cover for said shell in raised or separated position;

FIG. 7 is a perspective detail of a block section which may be fabricated with another like section to form the block of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation of a diffusing wall;

FIG. 9 is a perspective detail of one of the construction elements which may be used in the manufacture and fabrication of the wall shown in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a section taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 8.

It has been found desirable to provide a pinked wall or ceiling having improved light diffusion characteristics and being further so constructed as to make manufacture and fabrication a relatively simple procedure. To this end, I have provided a light diffusing wall which is constructed of individual blocks or elements adapted to be fabricated in side-by-side or edge-to-edge relation whereupon to form the completed wall. Since the blocks or elements in any given construction are of identical configuration, it follows that they may be easily manufactured on a mass slightly modified light Patented May 21, 1963 scale by molding or the like, and then the finished blocks or elements can easily be transported to any desired location, at which point the wall may be fabricated.

The use of pinked Walls and ceilings in architectural constructions is not new per se where a breaking u of hard, direct light is required. Such constructions as simple lattices, louvers, piled tubes, and simple pinkings in geometrical shapes have heretofore been in use in the prior art, but this general type of construction fails to approach the strength, diffusion charactertistics, and aesthetic beauty of the instant invention. Briefly, the basic and salient concepts of this invention reside in the provision of a substantially solid wall having crossed fillet portions in spaced relation to each other at their point of intersection and having openings extending completely through the wall at each of the four corners surrounding each intersection. The solid surface of the wall is essentially uniplanar, and hence, the fillets of each intersecting pair are bowed in opposite directions to provide the aforementioned spaced. relation. Also, the wall is fabricated from a plurality of construction blocks or elements which may be cast or otherwise formed of any known construction material, such as cement, ceramics, stucco, plastics, metal and papier-rnache.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, there is shown generally at 10 a light diffusing wall constructed in accordance with my invention. As will be noted, the wall 10- is fabricated from a plurality of construction blocks 12, one of which is shown in detail in FIG. 4. The block 12, which may be made from any desirable construction material, comprises a marginal portion 14 having an outer edge 16 provided with a peripheral groove 18, the purpose of which will hereinafter be made apparent. The marginal portion 14 of each block 12 is substantially uniplanar and extends completely around the periphery of the block in a continuous, unbroken plane. Centrally of marginal portion 14-, each block 12 is provided with an enlarged opening 20 bridged by a pair of integral fillets 22, 24.

As will be seen most clearly in FIG. 1, the fillets 22, 24 extend diagonally of the block 12 in opposite directions whereby to divide the opening 2% into four smaller openings 26, each of which is located at one of the four corners provided by the intersection of fillets 22, 24. It is important to note that the fillets 22, 24 are spaced from each other at their point of intersection, this resulting from the fact that the said fillets are each bowed in opposite directions from the main plane of the block 12 as defined by marginal portion 14. Thus, while a certain amount of light can pass directly through the openings 26, the majority of the light rays will be difiused and deflected by the gently curved concave inner surfaces 28 of each block 12.

The assembly of the blocks 12 to fabricate the completed wall 10 is an extremely simple procedure, consisting of nothing more than securing the blocks together in edge-to-edge relation by any suitable means, such as cementing or the like. As will be obvious, when the blocks 12. are placed together in edge-to-edge, abutting relation, the grooves 18 of adjacent edges will cooperate to provide a channel 30 within which there may be positioned a reinforcing strip 32 of steel or the like for imparting strength and rigidity to the overall wall. Actually, whether or not the strips 32 are employed, the wall It} has proven to be extremely rugged and durable and capable of supporting heavy loads depending somewhat, of course, upon the particular material from which the blocks 12 are constructed.

In FIGS. 1 through 4, the blocks 12 are shown as being integral, one-piece units which are molded in a single operation and, hence, have no seams or butt joints, whereby a block of maximum strength and simplicity of manufacture is provided. in order to mold the block 12 in a single operation as an integral, one-piece unit, I have devised a highly unique and efiective mold, shown generally at34 in FIGS. and6. The mold 34'com prises a cover 36 and a bottom shell 38, said bottom shell having an interior construction designed so as to produce the block 12 with spaced fillets 22, 24. The problem present in this operation is that of removing the completely molded block from the mold shell 38 since the bottom'fillet must pass upwardly through its complemental mold portion and also through that portion of the mold which shapes and forms the upper fillet. I have overcome this problem in a highly unique and effective manner by providing removable mold inserts 40, 42, said inserts each being sufiiciently large so as to form those portions of the fillets which intersect or overlie each other. Thus, when the block 12 has been completely molded, it may be lifted upwardly from the shell 38, it being apparent that insert 49 will be carried upwardly with the bottom fillet until the upper insert 42 is engaged and forced upwardly, if, in fact, the latter has not already moved upwardly and out of the way due to adhesion to its respective fillet. The important thing to note is that by providing the removable mold inserts at the intersecting portions of the fillets, the molded block is free to be lifted straight upwardly from the mold shell.

The block 12 may also be made by molding individual sections 44, as shown in FIG. 7, and then joining a pair of said sections to form the completed block. Each section 44 comprises a pair of diagonally opposed block quarters 46 interconnected by a bowed fillet 48. As will be noted, the peripheral edge 50 of the block section 44 is grooved as at 52, said grooves corresponding to the grooves 18 of the blocks 12. A pair of identical sections 44 are then joined together by any suitable means, such as cementing or the like, to form the completed block, it being apparent that the respective fillets 48 of each section cross each other in substantially perpendicular disposition and are bowed outwardly in opposite directions. The lower right-hand block in FIG. 1 is illustrated as being formed from a pair of sections 44, attention being directed to the seams 54 which define the abutting edges of the individual sections.

FIGS. 8 through illustrate a slightly modified form of wall construction comprising a first wall section 56 having a second wall section 58 interlaced therewith. Each of the wall sections is identical in configuration, section 56 having a plurality of vertically and horizontally extending columns 60 and 62, respectively, merging at their points of intersection 64, and section 58 having corresponding vertically and horizontally extending columns 66 and 68, respectively, merging at their points of intersection 70. The intersecting portions 64 and 70 are all in substantially the same plane, this being the main plane of the overall wall. In order that the proper interlacing etiect may be achieved, the vertical columns 60 of wall section 56 are bowed in one direction from the plane of intersecting portions 64, while the horizontal columns 62 are bowed in the opposite direction from said plane. At the same time, the vertical and horizontal columns of wall section 58 are also bowed in opposite directions, respectively, it being important to note that the vertical columns of each wall section are bowed in the same direction, while the horizontal columns are likewise bowed in the same direction as each other. Thus, by staggering the intersecting portions 64 and 70 as shown in FIG. 8, the bowed vertical columns of each wall section will cross over the oppositely bowed horizontal columns of the other wall section in spaced relation thereto. It will be noted that this form of my invention is similar to the aforedescribed wall 10 in that, here again, a plurality of pairs of crossed fillets or columns are provided, each column or fillet of a given pair being oppositely bowed from the plane of the wall whereby to perpendicularly intersect in spaced relation. Also, it will be noted that in my modified wall construction each pair of intersecting columns defines four small openings 72 similar to the openings 26 of wall 10.

The wall sections 56 and 58 are necessarily fabricated from individual elements 74 shown in detail in FIG. 9. As will be obvious, each element 74 comprises a substantially fiat, uniplanar central portion 76 corresponding to the portions 64 and 70 of the completed wall shown in FIG. 8. A first pair of oppositely disposed arms 78 extends outwardly from central portion 76, said arms being bowed to one side of the plane of said central portion. A second pair of oppositely disposed arms 80 also extends outwardly from central portion 76, it being noted that the arms 80 are bowed to the opposite side of said central portion and that they extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the aforedescribed arms 78. It will be apparent that by securing together the edge portions 82 of adjacent elements 74 in proper abutting relation, as by cementing or the like, the wall shown in FIG. 8 may readily be fabricated. When assembling the individual elements 74 to form the completed wall, care should be taken to insure that the central portions 76 of said elements are in the same plane, which automatically will happen if adjacent elements are properly positioned with respect to each other.

As will be obvious, in this form of my invention the same general breaking up and diffusion of light will take place since a major portion of the light rays will be diffused and deflected by the general curvature of the elements 74.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A construction block for use in the fabrication of a light diffusing wall of the character described, said block comprising a solid, unbroken, uniplanar, marginal portion, an enlarged opening centrally disposed within said marginal portion, and a pair of fillets extending from said marginal portion and bridging said opening, said fillets each consisting of a single strip extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the other fillet, said fillets being oppositely bowed from the plane of said marginal portion so as to be in spaced relation at their point of intersection.

2. The block of claim 1 wherein said fillets extend integrally from said marginal portion and are diagonally disposed with respect to said block.

3. A light difiusing wall comprising first and second wall sections each of which are self-supporting, said first section having a plurality of vertically and horizontally extending columns merging at their points of intersection, said points of intersection all being in substantially the same plane, said vertical columns being bowed to one side of said intersection plane between adjacent intersection points and said horizontal columns being oppositely bowed between adjacent intersection points, and a second wall section identical to said first section, said wall sections being interlaced so that their respective in tersection points lie in the same plane in spaced, staggered relation with respect to each other with the bowed vertical portions of one section crossing over the bowed horizontal portions of the other section in spaced relatin and vice versa.

4. A substantially solid, flat, self-supporting uniplanar light diffusing wall, a plurality of openings extending through said wall, and a pair of crossed fillets spanning each of said openings, each of said fillets consisting of a continuous unbroken strip, the ends of which merge with the marginal portion of each opening, said fillet ends all being in substantially the same plane, but said fillets being completely spaced from each other at their points of intersection, so that no engagement is made between each pair of crossed fillets.

5. The wall of claim 4 further characterized in that said fillets extend integrally from said marginal portions, each pair of crossed fillets extending substantially perpendicularly to each other and being substantially narrower than said opening, whereby said opening is divided into four smaller openings located at the four corners defined by the crossed fillets.

6. The wall of claim 4 further characterized in that the spaced relation between each pair of fillets at their point of intersection is established by having the fillets of each pair gently bowed in opposite directions.

7. A construction block for use in the fabrication of a light diffusing wall of the character described, said block comprising a solid, unbroken, uniplanar marginal portion, an enlarged opening centrally disposed within said marginal portion, and a pair of fillets extending from said marginal portion and bridging said opening, said fillets each consisting of a single strip extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the other fillet, the end portions of said fillets being in sub stantially the same plane, but said fillets being completely therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Flimsoll Apr. 29, Hart June 3, Baum Sept. 3, Straight Nov. 25, Byrne Apr. 11, White Dec. 11, Heidrich July 1, Janzen Mar. 24, Eastus Apr. 2, Mabry Sept. 30, Ishman Apr. 21, Leach July 21, Foster Dec. 22, Shugart Feb. 16, Bruemmer Mar. 17, Pomeroy May 12, Hauer June 23,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Jan. 18, Germany May 12,

eir point of intersection, so 

4. A SUBSTANTIALLY SOLID FLAT, SELF-SUPPORTING UNIPLANAR LIGHT DIFFUSING WALL, A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS EXENDING THROUGH SAID WALL, AND A PAIR OF CROSSED FILLETS SPANNING EACH OF SAID OPENINGS, EACH OF SAID FILLETS CONSISTING OF A CONTINUOUS UNBROKEN STRIP, THE ENDS OF WHICH MERGE WITH THE MARGINAL PORTION OF EACH OPENING, SAID FILLET ENDS ALL BEING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE, BUT SAID FILLETS BEING COMPLETELY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AT THEIR POINTS OF INTERSECTION, SO THAT NO ENGAGEMENT IS MADE BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF CROSSED FILLETS. 